RIYADH: The number of Saudi tourists to Syria is reportedly declining amid increasing security concerns.
The number of Saudis touring Syria has fallen by 20 percent this year compared to last year, Al-Watan daily reported on Tuesday. Syrian authorities attribute this change to Internet rumors of mistreatment of Saudis by Syrians.
“Unfortunately some websites are spreading false news with the ulterior motive of creating division between the two nations,” said Charge d’Affaires of the Syrian Embassy in Riyadh Qusay Mustafa.
The official went on to say that single men who travel to Syria for “irresponsible” reasons should expect to land in trouble.
“Single men who go to places of dubious reputation are no doubt exposing themselves to danger, even in the country’s capital Damascus or elsewhere. Any frivolous or irresponsible conduct might cause problems and lead to police detention,” Mustafa said. The official denied that there has been any shift in treatment of Saudi tourists and dismissed any insinuations of such as media hype.
“The present outcry about the treatment of Saudi tourists is not because of an increase in the bad treatment by the Syrian authorities but because of the increasing media attention to such matters,” he said. “The tourists might have experienced similar situations in the past but the media never made any fuss about it.”
The diplomat pointed out that the issues of Syrian expatriates in the Kingdom whose number is estimated at about 500,000 are more serious than the difficulties faced by Saudi tourists in Syria. He also stressed his embassy’s desire to solve any issues without allowing them to conflagrate with the spark of media sensationalism.
“With security agreements between the two countries, there is great cooperation and total understanding between the two countries, and the relations are excellent at present,” the official said.
